SUPPLY CHAIN ARTICLES

• What Violin Making Can Teach Us About mRNA Therapeutic Quality

  Managing the mRNA supply chain and working in mRNA process development may not look anything like the work a luthier does to hew an instrument from an ancient spruce tree. But violin craftmanship actually serves as a fantastic metaphor for the challenging work the mRNA therapeutics space is tackling in sourcing and qualifying raw materials and optimizing the critical IVT reaction.

• The Cell-Free Revolution: Breaking The Plasmid DNA Bottleneck

  I was excited to be given the opportunity to sit down with Jodi Barrientos, CEO, Ribbon Bio, to learn more about the current state of the synthetic DNA space. In the following Q&A, Barrientos and I discuss some of the synthetic DNA industry’s biggest goals and the challenges that stand in the way of bringing synthetic plasmids more commonly into the mRNA development paradigm. 

• "Mirror, Mirror…": Reflections On Reducing mRNA Production COGS

  Here, I outline three overarching words of wisdom I gleaned from Life Edit Therapeutics’ April Sena; Tune Therapeutics’ Tyler Goodwin; and University of Sheffield’s Adi on how the mRNA/RNA industry can better control production costs — particularly as it relates to raw material sourcing and usage.  

• The Expanding Patent Landscape For RNA-Based Therapeutics

  The COVID-19 pandemic thrust RNA-based therapeutics into the spotlight. Before that, only a handful had received regulatory approval. Why are RNA-based therapeutics seeing more patent activity now and how should biotech companies mitigate patent risks? Attorneys from Neal Gerber Eisenberg share their insights.

• A "Hot Take" on Personalized mRNA Medicines

  mRNA’s small-scale and cell-free production are often-touted benefits in the personalized medicines sphere. But as I reviewed my notes from the BioPhorum ATMP member event, I found myself coming face to face with a difficult truth.

• Innovations In The Oligonucleotide Supply Chain: Regulatory Considerations For Materials, Manufacturing, And Lifecycle Control

  Oligonucleotide therapeutics have rapidly advanced into late-stage and commercial development, shifting regulatory focus toward the maturity of manufacturing and supply chain control rather than therapeutic novelty. Regulatory success now depends on how effectively sponsors translate innovative chemistries into well-characterized, scalable, and sustainable materials and processes.